FORMERLY DISPUTED ISLANDS
In the twentieth century the United States has
disputed with other nations the status of certain islands or atolls. Five
(5) were in the Caribbean; twenty-five (25), in the Pacific. For purposes
of discussion, one may divide these thirty (30) islands or atolls into seven
groups.
(1) The status of the islands
of Canton (Kanton), Enderbury, Hull (Orona), Birnie, Gardner (Nikumaroro),
Phoenix (Rawaki), Sydney (Manra), McKean, Christmas (Kiritimati),
Caroline, Starbuck, Malden, Flint and Vostok:
On September 20, 1979, representatives of the United
States and Kiribati met in Tarawa Atoll in the northern district of the Gilbert
Islands. There they signed a treaty of friendship on behalf of their two nations,
an agreement which many refer to as the Treaty of Tarawa of 1979. Under that
treaty the United States recognized Kiribati's sovereignty over these fourteen
islands. This treaty entered into force on September 23, 1983.
(2) The
status of the United States' claim to certain atolls in the northern Cook Islands,
Danger (Pukapuka), Manahiki, Penrhyn and Rakahanga:
On June 11, 1980, the United States and the Cook Islands signed in Rarotonga
a treaty of friendship to delimit maritime boundaries. By the terms of this
treaty the United States renounced its claim to these four atolls and acknowledged
the sovereignty of the Cook Islands over them. This treaty entered into force
on September 8, 1983. Since August 4, 1965, the Cook Islands have been a state in free association
with New Zealand. This relationship resembles very closely that which the Marshall
Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have enjoyed with the United
States since October 21, 1986,and November 3, 1986, respectively.
(3) The status of the United States' claim to certain atolls in the Union
(Tokelau) Islands, Atafu, Fafaofu and Nukunono:
On December 2, 1980, the United States and New Zealand signed in Atafu Atoll
itself a treaty to delimit the maritime boundary between the United States
and Tokelau, a New Zealand territory. As a result of this treaty, the United States relinquished its claim to these three atolls and acknowledged New Zealand's sovereignty over them on Tokelau's behalf. This
treaty entered into force on September 3, 1983.
(4) The status of the United States' claim to certain atolls in the Ellice
Islands, Funafuti, Nukefetau, Nukulaelae and Nurakita (Niulakita):
On February 7, 1979, diplomats representing the United States and Tuvalu met
in Funafuti Atoll itself and signed a treaty of friendship. By this treaty
the United States ended its claim to these four atolls. This treaty entered
into force on September 23, 1983.
(5) The United States' claim to Quita Sueno Bank, Roncador Cay and Serrana Bank:
To the north of Panama and east of Nicaragua, this cluster of islands was
the subject of a treaty which the United States and Colombia signed in Bogota
on September 8, 1972. Under its terms the United States has recognized Colombia's
sovereignty over these islands. This treaty entered into force on September
17, 1981.
(6) The United States' former sovereignty over the Swan Islands:
In relative isolation, the Swan Islands lie in the western Caribbean, ninety-five
miles north of the coast of Honduras and three hundred twenty miles west of
Jamaica. They consist of Great Swan and Little Swan Islands, of which neither
has any dimension of more than about two miles. In 1863 the area was certified
as islands appertaining to the United States under the Guano Islands Act of
August 18, 1856 (Title 48, U.S. Code, sections 1411-19), and guano operations
were carried on there for many years.
The United States' later interests in the Swan Islands involved agricultural
production in coconut plantations and aids to navigation and communications,
resulting in continued United States occupation and use of the islands. In
San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on November 22,1971, American and Honduran representatives
signed a treaty by which the United States recognized Honduras' long-standing
claim to sovereignty over the Swan Islands. The treaty entered into force
on September 1, 1972.
(7) The United States' former administration of the Corn Islands:
Made up of Great Corn and Little Corn Islands, the Corn Islands lie about
thirty miles off the coast of Nicaragua. They never were a U.S. insular area,
that is, under the sovereignty of the United States, but were leased from Nicaragua for a period of ninety-nine
years under the Convention of Washington, D.C., of August 5, 1914.
The terms of the lease made the Corn Islands subject exclusively to American
laws and administration. However, with the United States' acquiescence, the
Government of Nicaragua directed the islands' local administration. The United
States' right to the actual or potential use of the islands remained unimpaired
until April 25, 1971, when the lease was officially terminated and the Convention
of Managua of July 14, 1970, entered into force.
REMAINING U.S. CLAIMS
None
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